| |
"Waldo, this is Mirabilis, the tri-parted city," the brunette announced. "And if we didn't have an official invitation from the new king, you could forget ever entering the New Town."
The young man looked around in awe. The Perfects glared at the two foreigners, but if they'd gotten in, they had permission. It was plain obvious on their faces what they thought about the new king's policies – he had definitely lowered the bar of perfection by allowing anyone into the New Town.
"How long have you known Haje?" Waldo asked looking at the young woman who was his captain.
"Five or six years," she answered. "When I first met him, he still lived in the Lower Town, but he was always in the suburbs around the spaceport, to be closer to the New Town. He was a very ambitious young man."
"Have you been with him?" he asked after a brief hesitation.
"Yes," she answered.
He didn't persist. Another one night stand for fickle Camilla. Danold had told him a few, telling him to give up hope of seducing their captain. But he'd fallen in love with her anyway, even if he hadn't managed to tell her yet.
Besides, Camilla was always so cold and standoffish with her crew... Danold exhorted him to be patient, but Danold was older than him and had known Camilla for longer. And since Waldo was the newcomer, he couldn't tell his captain how much he cared for her yet.
After that first glance, he didn't look around much. He wasn't really interested in the beautiful architecture and the perfect Humanoids walking the wide streets of the New Town – his ideal woman was already walking by his side. He snapped out of his thoughts only in front of the magnificent royal palace, while Camilla seemed much more unimpressed by what was in front of her.
Waldo wondered if the new king had invited her to make her queen, but he was almost certain she'd refuse anyway. She wouldn't give up her starship and the freedom it gave her to live in a palace.
An android took them to a sumptuous boudoir with two doors and a large window opening onto a terrace. Soon the other door opened and a young man with long brown hair and a long-sleeved shirt that left even Waldo breathless for a moment entered. He wasn't ugly, but if Camilla preferred Haje to him, he couldn't blame her.
"Haje!" she greeted with a smile. "You're more handsome than ever! I'm very curious to know how you earned this throne!"
"And not why I invited you here?" Haje smiled, ignoring Waldo completely.
"You'd tell me that anyway," she replied. "I left you in the suburbs around the spaceport, anxious to conquer your spot in the New Town and here you are as the only king where there used to be a king and a queen. How did you manage?"
"I... um... convinced my predecessor to give me his place," Haje answered with an impish smile. "Unfortunately the day I was crowned they found him with his throat cut. He was a gorgeous blond man named Chrystal..."
"He'd just been elected when we met!" she marveled. "It's true that he was very young and very handsome, I was sure he could hold the post for this many years... But tell me, Haje, what did you threaten him with to convince him to give you his scepter?"
"Of disfiguring him, of course," Haje answered. "And to show him I wasn't kidding, I cut his chest and his shoulder. When he abdicated, he had a long-sleeved shirt too because he was ashamed of the scars that made him imperfect."
"And who cut his throat, Haje?" she insisted, mildly amused.
"Telling you wouldn't change a thing," he answered with a half-smile. "It wasn't me, though. I was the king, no need to wash my hands in blood."
"True. So what can I do for you?"
Haje was serious as he stared at her. "You must go to the Lower Town. My queen refuses to join me. I could send all the automatic security beyond the wall, but they'd be destroyed. You're an adventurer, and you're a Humanoid. Find Smeralda and bring her back, whether she wants it or not."
"Where do I find her?" Camilla asked business-like.
"In my house, with Miri," he answered.
"And how much will you give me?"
Waldo held his breath, but Haje was unfazed.
"What you want."
"Even a Perfect for each of my men?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"If that's what you want." He shrugged.
No, Waldo thought. I don't want a Perfect, I want her!
"Done deal," Camilla said. "I need two passes for Danold and Ty. They'll wait by the wall while I'll go with Waldo into the Lower Town.
"Him?" Haje pointed at Waldo with his chin, obviously unhappy.
"He's not Lonny," she replied.
"Lonny has changed too." Haje sighed and averted his eyes. "But I want only Smeralda. Bring her back and you can choose whichever Perfect you want, excluding me."
"Of course," she said with a bow. Not that she'd have the same man twice, according to Danold.
Soon they left the palace.
"Who's Lonny?" Waldo asked. He hadn't liked Haje's contempt towards him. They hated each other on sight.
"He's a gorgeous young man who lives in the Lower Town," she answered, thoughtful. "Physically perfect, but mentally retarded..."
***
The squalor of the Lower Town was obvious even to the two foreigners who walked the alleys, determined. Camilla knew where Haje used to live and went straight there – near the base of the wall that towered over the rotten buildings.
They found Lonny and the others in the usual opening below the wall and Smeralda was with them – still beautiful even without the New City enhancements.
"Hello, Miri." Camilla greeted Haje's sister. "Remember me?"
"Of course, you spent some time with my brother a few years ago. What brings you back to Mirabilis?"
"Haje." Camilla looked at Smeralda. "Seems like he's madly in love with a gorgeous blonde and wants her by his side as queen."
"Smeralda doesn't want to be with Haje!" Lonny said with his childish pout. "Haje is mean and Smeralda doesn't love him anymore, so she stays with us and you go away now!"
"Lonny, calm down," Camilla chided. "We used to be friends, remember? I taught you that game, Color Color, a few years ago. You loved it."
Lonny was puzzled for a moment. "Oh, right, I forgot!" He hugged her. "You've been away for so long!"
"My starship was calling me," she replied. "Now go to play, I need to talk to Smeralda, alone."
Miri grabbed Lonny's hand and dragged him away, followed by the others.
"Do not treat Lonny like a child, he's growing up fast," Smeralda said.
"And he starts looking at you like Haje did?" Camilla scoffed. "Did you do the miracle? You're really perfect, then!"
"No, and I do not wish to be the queen of perfection ever again," Smeralda replied bluntly. "Haje has changed, and I don't want to see him. His ambition will be his undoing. I don't care if he killed Chrystal only to give me back my throne, I didn't ask him to."
"I'm sorry, but he wants you and I'll take you there whether you want it or not," Camilla replied coldly, grabbing her wrists while Waldo put his gun on "stun".
Smeralda struggled briefly, then collapsed unconscious in Waldo's arms.
Camilla looked up towards the top of the wall. Two heads were looking down and had already sent down a long rope. Waldo and Camilla tied it around Smeralda's body, and the other two started pulling her up.
"Let's split," Camilla ordered. "Soon the alarm will go off. See you at the gates of the New Town."
***
Waldo didn't object to Camilla's order. He tried to go as straight as he could, keeping an eye on the looming wall, but the alleys and streets of the slums were never straight or parallel, so he got lost.
The Lower Town dwellers had discovered their queen had been abducted and were on the hunt for the culprits. I should have stayed with Ty and Cams should have come with Danold, Waldo thought, trying not to get lost in the labyrinth, where even his GPS didn't work. He never understood why she'd named him first mate instead of Danold or Ty who had been with her for longer. Maybe – but really maybe, Waldo had no illusions – she felt something for him too.
"Where are you going, friend?" A colossus blocked his way.
"I'm trying to reach the spaceport, but I'm afraid I'm lost," he said innocently. It wasn't a complete lie, he was lost.
"Bullshit!" the colossus roared. "Only two foreigners entered this city today, and they stole our queen!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he insisted, backing away. "I was only..."
The colossus didn't let him finish. He grabbed him by his shirt and threw him against a wall. Waldo lost consciousness.
***
"Where's Waldo?" Camilla asked, worried.
"I thought he was with you," Danold replied.
"We split to get out of the Lower Town."
"Not very smart. You know it's a labyrinth."
Camilla pursed her lips. "Smeralda?"
"She's at the palace."
"Hey," Ty called. He was leaning over the low wall to look at the Lower Town. "Were you looking for Waldo?"
Camilla and Danold rushed to lean next to him. Voices were calling them from down there. Waldo was on the ground, motionless.
"Give back Smeralda or we kill him!" the colossus shouted, shaking his fist.
"Shit," Camilla whispered.
"What can we do?" Danold asked.
"Ask for Haje's help."
"He won't help."
"He still has to pay us!"
"As you wish..."
***
Waldo slowly came back to his senses. He could hear the voices and threats around him, but his eyes opened on darkness. Maybe he'd hurt his optical nerve, but he wasn't expecting his captors to take him to the hospital. Quite the opposite – they sounded determined to hurt him even more.
They hadn't realized he'd gone blind. They told him they'd break his leg to prevent him from running away, and they did it in the most painful way. He passed out again.
He felt a cool hand over his forehead and opened his eyes again, but he still didn't see anything. He didn't dare saying anything. He felt soft lips kissing his and imagined it was Camilla – although he knew it wasn't her. She didn't smell like his captain.
Again, he said nothing. He felt powerless and his broken leg hurt like hell.
***
Miri stared at the wounded foreigner without daring to speak. In her life she'd seen only two gorgeous men, Lonny and her brother. Her secret passion for Lonny had melted through the years and the sight of the young man with chestnut brown hair and a handsome, clean-shaven face made her blood run wild.
He tasted good, and she decided to protect him as much as she could. She had realized he was at least temporarily blind and felt happy. She wouldn't have to endure any expression of disgust on his face...
She sighed and rose to get some food. She met Lonny's glare, but the gorgeous young man swiftly ran away. Miri gasped. Lonny was changing – she wondered if he was jealous as a child or as a man of the two women who had taken care of him more than others. And Smeralda was gone.
***
"You have Smeralda, but the price has changed," Camilla said, determined, while Haje stared at Smeralda's artificial sleep. "One of my men is stuck in the Lower Town and I need your help to take him out of that hellhole."
"I already told you automatic security can't help in the slums," Haje answered without looking at her. "You'll have the Perfects as promised, but I can't send anyone beyond the wall. Leave now."
I'll remember this, Camilla thought, furious. Danold's expression clearly said "Told you!"
"You want me to go?" Ty offered as they walked towards the gates of the New Town. "They don't know me, and I could reach Waldo without being noticed. I'll keep in touch with the secret radio and will try to free him."
"Phones don't work down there, but radio might," Camilla muttered. "I guess it's the only way. Danold is well known in the slums, so... You go. I trust you."
Danold nodded his approval and Ty left. He was short and dark-haired, on the plump side and he could vanish in the Lower Town better than tall and skinny Waldo. He could look like a rejected inhabitant of Mirabilis.
"He can do it," Danold said as she followed Ty with her eyes. "Don't tell me you're worried for Waldo."
"I am because he's a very good element in my crew," she snapped.
Danold's scoff got on her nerves. She was very fond of all her crew members, and Waldo was the youngest and most handsome. He hadn't even tried to get into her bed yet, which might be another reason not to lose him so soon...
***
Ty quickly found the way to the wall, although he stopped to talk with every passer-by, chatting about the weather or the latest gadget or simple gossip as if he belonged. He was outgoing and never had problems in making new friends.
"Hey guys!" he greeted joining the group of people that included Lonny, whom he had seen from high above but was clearly recognizable from up close for his height and beauty. "I'm looking for a place to rest, anyone have a spare bed for tonight?"
"Yes," a disfigured young woman answered. "There's my brother's room. Haje doesn't live here anymore." That must be Miri.
"Oh, thank god! I've been looking for something since morning, I was afraid I'd have to go back to that lurid spaceport!"
"Where are you from?" Lonny asked.
Ty mentioned the farthest point of Lower Town. "Bad people down there," he added, disgusted. "I fought with everyone, so I decided to move away."
"Well done," said a youth too tall and skinny. "What's your name?"
That night Ty saw Waldo. He lay in a corner of a common room, apparently blind and slightly feverish.
"Who's that?" Ty feigned surprise.
"A foreigner," the Skinny One answered with contempt. "We punished him."
"I can see that! He's pretty bruised!"
"Serves him right," Lonny said, pouting. "Teaches him to kidnap Smeralda."
Ty was too worried for Waldo to ask who Smeralda was. Besides, everybody in Lower Town probably knew a Perfect lived among them. Miri was taking care of the wounded prisoner who seemed to come back to his senses, but kept sparing into space.
"Is he blind or what?" Ty asked.
"Hit his head," Colossus grumbled.
Waldo had gasped at the sound of Ty's voice, but didn't say anything.
Before going to sleep, Ty managed to squeeze his hand to reassure him. Waldo nodded. He had understood and would wait patiently.
***
There was a forgotten smell in the air. Smeralda opened her eyes, still dazed, and found herself in her room. Not the dirty and dark room she'd shared with Haje, but the one she'd been given when she'd been elected Queen of the Perfects.
She remembered the female adventurer and her partner, and understood Haje had won. He had taken her back to the New Town. But I won't be the Queen of Perfection ever again!
A curtain moved and Haje came in, more handsome than ever, perfectly clean and groomed by the facilities of the new town, his shoulder hidden under the shirt. The new king of the Perfects never wore sleeveless clothes, but nobody dared challenge his predecessor's choice.
"Good morning, gorgeous," Haje greeted tenderly. "We're together again at last. I missed you."
"I didn't miss you," she snapped.
"Nice," he commented with a hint of sarcasm, sitting on the bed. "But I want you by my side, Queen of Perfection, because I love you, now and forever."
"I don't." She lowered her eyes as a lump climbed in her throat. "I don't love you anymore. You changed. The Haje I fell in love with is dead and I don't want to spend my life with you."
"You have no choice," he replied before leaning to kiss her.
Being with him was both pleasant and sad. Pleasant because it reminded her of so many happy moments, sad because in spite of everything she felt he was different now.
Silent tears ran down her cheeks and Haje drank them with his lips.
***
"If you don't take him to a hospital, he might die," Ty said. "Is that what you want? Are you murderers? Besides, when he's dead, you won't have any leverage left..."
Miri gasped, frightened, as the more belligerent muttered and grumbled among themselves. Waldo burned with fever. Eventually Ty managed to convince them and they took Waldo to the hospital just outside of the Old Town.
***
Smeralda tried to free herself from Haje's possessive arms. He was losing all tenderness as he tried to force himself on her. Desperate to get rid of him, Smeralda scratched his cheek.
Haje pulled back and touched his cheek, then stared at the blood on his hand. His eyes filled with blind fury.
"You... disfigured me!" He hissed and grabbed her neck.
Smeralda moaned, terrified. Haje's madness was dangerous.
Choking, she tried again to free herself, but Haje was much stronger. Her violent struggling was useless against his chokehold. The airway compression by Haje's finger squeezed the life out of her.
***
"A sickness she caught in the Lower Town," Camilla muttered as the body of the Queen of the Perfects was paraded in a glass coffin in her silken clothes and precious jewelry. "That bastard Haje won't fool me! He's good at pretending a sorrow he doesn't feel!"
"You think he killed her?" Danold asked.
"Yes, because she kept rejecting him." Camilla wasn't sure, but when she managed to get a little closer, she noticed some red traces on Smeralda's neck, carefully hidden by rows of pearls that wrapped it like a turtleneck. "See?" she whispered. Danold nodded.
"None of our business," he grumbled. "Waldo has been released, we should get away from here."
"Good idea." Camilla stopped staring at the coffin and its content, and turned her back to the whole procession. "Tomorrow morning we'll leave."
"Do you want me to prepare the ship?"
"No, you can do it tomorrow when I go pick up Waldo at the hospital. By the way, how was your Perfect partner?"
"Bah." Danold shrugged.
"Exactly." She smiled briefly. "I'll go shower, today it's so hot... I wonder if the king of Mirabilis is sweating!"
"Probably, but he'd never take his shirt off." He scoffed. "See you later. I'll get Ty and send him to Waldo."
***
The funeral was over. Camilla was at the palace, taking a shower, oblivious to the cameras spying on her.
Haje stared at the monitors and slowly smiled. The king of Mirabilis had found a new queen of perfection.
***
"You're alone?" Waldo asked, surprised.
"Glad to see you're back on your feet," Danold said. It was a euphemism, since Waldo had an exoskeleton supporting his legs – the broken one was still quite messed up – and his eyesight was temporarily substituted by glasses that sent impulses to his brain. But that was all the assistance they could get on Mirabilis, they'd have to take Waldo back to his home planet of Alahairo for him to be healed completely.
"Where's Cams," Waldo insisted, rising from the hospital bed.
"I'm afraid she vanished," Danold answered.
"What do you mean?" Waldo protested. "Just say it, what the hell happened?"
Danold sighed. "Smeralda is dead. Fever and illness, they say. Haje must have decided Cams was the perfect substitute."
"What?"
"Calm down, Cams is too independent to fall for someone like Haje."
"Then he could kill her like he did with Smeralda," Waldo retorted. He'd figured out quickly enough that Smeralda's death wasn't natural.
"She's a tough gal," Danold replied. "Smeralda wasn't an adventurer, Cams is."
Ty watched them discuss. The young and rash Waldo wanted to go looking for their captain immediately. Danold knew it was useless – their Mirabilis passes had expired and Haje would never renew them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ty saw Lonny leaving quietly as he'd come. None of them had noticed him and Ty wondered what went through the deranged mind of the handsome young man.
***
Lonny wasn't sure of what he was doing, but for the first time in his life he was determined to do what he wanted. He hadn't talked to anyone before leaving the Lower Town to go to the hospital. He wanted to know if the foreigners knew anything about Smeralda.
Now he knew Smeralda was dead, but he didn't know how she died. And he was sorry that Camilla had vanished in Haje's palace. More and more convinced of the evilness of his former friend, Lonny wanted to see the end of it.
He went to the gates and requested the temporary pass to try the perfection exam. He went straight to the palace where an android took him to the examination room.
"Hello, Lonny." Haje sat in an armchair with his shirt open. "Have you decided to try the New Town too?"
"It was the only way to talk to you," Lonny replied. "Danold says Smeralda is dead."
"It's true," Haje answered. "An awful fever she contracted in the slums."
"Don't lie to me." Lonny pouted. "I'm not that stupid. There's no deadly fever in Lower Town."
"Correct." Haje chuckled. "Aren't we getting smarter, Lonny? Maybe you are ready to join the Perfects!"
"I don't want to join the Perfects, I want to know how Smeralda died!" Lonny snapped.
"Lonny, you were nicer when you used less brainpower. You're gorgeous, why do you worry your pretty head with silly questions? I'll let you have the permanent resident pass, all right?"
"No. I don't want to become like you."
He noticed a flash of anger in Haje's eyes.
"What do you want, then?" Haje's affability was gone.
"The truth," Lonny said, undaunted. "About Smeralda and Camilla."
"Smeralda is dead and Camilla will be queen in her place," Haje replied bluntly.
"Camilla?" Lonny asked, incredulous.
Haje scoffed and rose. "Come."
He took Lonny into a control room. The cameras monitors showed Camilla being prepared for a luxurious party by two identical female androids.
"I don't know what your lord wants and why you're doing all this, but tomorrow I'm leaving!" Camilla's voice came out of the speakers as she frowned at the impassive androids. "Haje can't keep me here."
"She'll change her mind," Haje told Lonny with a satisfied smile.
Lonny stared at Camilla's transformation: the brunette's beauty was enhanced by Mirabilis's fashion – the silk, the low cleavage, the hairdo, the jewelry had turned the starship captain from a tomboy to a beautiful, very feminine creature. Maybe Haje was right, she was perfect. But she wasn't born on Mirabilis, so keeping her against her will was unfair.
Lonny glanced disgusted at Haje and ran away.
***
Camilla looked quietly happy as she combed her hair in front of her mirror.
Haje joined her and kissed her cheek from behind, staring at her reflection.
"How are you, honey?"
"I'm fine," she answered. "What will we do tonight? Is there a party?"
"Of course." He took away the chair as she rose. "And you will be the queen." He took her in his arms to kiss her and she nestled against him with a contented sigh.
"You were a tough and rebellious woman, I turned you into a sweet, feminine creature who is totally in love with me," he said, holding her tight. "Are you happy?"
"Yes," she answered.
He grinned, squeezing her. The mind-controlling device worked perfectly.
***
Lonny had received his permanent resident pass, so he hung around the palace even if he didn't really want to be there. He couldn't believe Camilla's transformation, and since he knew Haje had become evil, he decided to consult with someone smarter than him.
So he went to look for Camilla's men. He found his way to the spaceport and finally saw Camilla's starship, still docked there among others. He was glad to see her crew hadn't abandoned her.
He went onboard, determined. Danold stared at him, surprised, but proved more eager to listen to him, while Waldo – with his enhanced sunglasses and lower body exoskeleton – made him uneasy.
"Think, Lonny," Danold said, serious. "If she changed so much, she must be being controlled. From what you say, she's not dazed, so it's not drugs. Think about it, is there anything she's always wearing? A belt, a necklace, a bracelet..."
Lonny shook his head, thinking, remembering, trying to visualize the various outfits of the new queen, to find the similarities...
He brightened. "The choker! She always wears a colorful choker with precious gems!"
"One of those gems is probably a mind-controlling device." Danold nodded. "Now you know what to do. Take it off her neck and come back here with her."
Lonny nodded and rushed back to the palace.
***
"Do you trust him?" Waldo asked with a frown.
"He's not as stupid as we think," Danold replied with a shrug. "Besides, Haje didn't think you could free Smeralda... Lonny is twenty-two and even if he's not as smart as you that doesn't mean he'll fail."
Waldo had blushed at the mention of his failure, so he didn't make comments.
"Besides, we don't have much choice," Ty said with a sigh. "Unless we barge in shooting at everyone and everything, but it would be a useless slaughter..."
***
"My lady," Lonny whispered shyly.
Camilla looked at him with polite indifference.
"Your choker is a little off, can I put it back?"
Camilla nodded. She didn't have a mirror to check that the colored gems were in the right position.
Lonny hesitated only briefly, then grabbed the choker and ripped it off her neck, throwing it to the end of the corridor. Camilla moaned and crumbled in his arms.
Lonny felt his heart beat faster. He was not a child anymore and his manhood stirred. He pulled up her chin. Her eyes were still closed. Without thinking, Lonny brushed her lips with his, then tasted the kiss a little more.
"Lonny!" Camilla opened her eyes and looked at him as if she was waking up from a long sleep. "What happened?"
"It was Haje," he answered, still dreamy. "We must run away, Danold is waiting for us."
Camilla gathered her senses and nodded.
The door at the end of the corridor opened and Haje entered, stepping over the choker that cracked under his foot.
Haje looked at them and frowned. "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.
Camilla took Lonny's hand. "Away," she answered. "Don't try to stop me."
"You'll end up like Smeralda," he threatened.
"You don't scare me," she retorted. "I'm not a precious Perfect who can't defend herself. If you want to strangle me, you first have to lay your hands on my neck."
Lonny's eyes widened in shock. "Haje killed Smeralda?" he whispered incredulous.
"Yes, Lonny, Haje has lost it completely," Camilla answered sourly. "Let's go. We won't let him stop us."
She dragged Lonny forward.
***
Haje punched Lonny in the face and tried to stop Camilla, but she was prepared. She might not have his muscles, but she knew martial arts and self-defense – something Smeralda had never learned. As they fought, she ripped off his left sleeve, which distracted him enough to let her go.
She ran away with still-dazed Lonny and he went after them. Camilla plunged in the great hall, followed by Haje, and skidded to a stop in front of the crowd of Perfects staring wide-eyed at them.
"Get her!" Haje ordered.
Camilla pushed Lonny towards the main entrance and turned to look at Haje, still panting.
"Sorry, Haje, you asked for it," she said.
He realized the Perfects were gaping at him. He glanced at his shoulder, the ripped sleeve, the purple patch under everybody's eyes. His imperfection was plain obvious.
Haje backed away, frightened. Soon he was the one pursued by angry Perfects, furious for his trick. Again he ran towards the wall between the cities, like he had done years earlier to escape from the robotic security sent by Chrystal and Smeralda.
This time he couldn't reach it though. They reached him before the wall and assaulted him with hatred. They took him up and over the wall.
"Go back to where you came from!" They shouted before throwing him down.
The ground was hard. The fall was worse than when he'd willingly jumped.
"Haje!" Miri was the first to reach him.
"Miri..." he whispered, feeling his life leaving him. "I've been a fool... I killed Smeralda, I killed myself..."
"Oh, Haje!" Miri hugged him as he sank into oblivion.
***
Camilla stared into space as she lay on her bunk. The starship was leaving Mirabilis, but it wasn't easy to forget. Haje's mind control wasn't complete, and she still remembered the feelings he had induced in her.
The buzzer snapped her back to reality and she unlocked the door, allowing her first mate to join her. She stared at his exoskeleton and his sunglasses and sighed. Hopefully it wasn't permanent, but she'd put him in danger.
"Sorry to disturb you," Waldo said shyly. "Do you need to talk?"
"No, I need to get you to a real hospital soon," she said. "I'm sorry you ended up like this."
"I'll be fine," he shrugged. "But you? How are you feeling?"
"It was a hard lesson."
"Which one?"
"Haje." She sat on the bunk, thoughtful. "I have never been in love, and it felt so good..."
"You... remember?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yes," she answered.
"Why did you never fall in love?"
"Because I hated men," she answered. "I was still a child when my stepfather abused me. I never forgot. Men are disgusting. I had sex, but not with my heart, not until Haje forced me with his mind-controlling device."
Waldo didn't comment. She stared at him and wondered what his glasses showed him. She remembered his hazel eyes, and decided she must do something about it.
"We'll cure you, Waldo, you'll be like new."
"Thanks."
"Are you always so embarrassed?"
"I'm not embarrassed."
"Yeah, right... did Danold send you?"
"No, why?"
"Just asking." She lay down again and went back to staring at the ceiling. "He knows I like you."
"He never told me that!" he protested.
"I sure hope not." She smiled. "I never told him, but I think he knows me enough to have figured it out on his own."
"He should be your first mate," he said.
"If he wanted command, he wouldn't stay on my ship," she replied. "Don't feel guilty for nothing."
"I don't feel guilty."
"Man, I can't even look you in the eyes!" She snorted. "I shouldn't have left you alone in the Lower Town."
"I'm pretty tough, and you said I'll be like new."
"You will be," she promised, rising from the bunk. She went to him. "I know you're in love with me," she whispered, settling his shirt on his chest. "Your silent adoration scared me, but it also attracted me... is it too late?"
He shook his head, obviously unable to speak. He hugged her and kissed her as if he'd waited for ever. She lost herself in his mouth, feeling the kiss for the first time. It was even more intense than when Haje had done it while controlling her mind.
"What changed?" he asked, caressing her hair. "I'm always the same – quite damaged at the moment..."
"I changed, Waldo," she answered, putting her arms around his neck. "I love you."